This invention relates to coin-controlled apparatus for locking shopping carts together, and more particularly for locking such carts together in nested series at a cart parking station, such as a cart parking station on a parking lot of a supermarket or other establishment in which shopping carts are used.
The invention is especially concerned with a coin-controlled mechanism of such apparatus which is mounted on a shopping cart, e.g. on the handle of the cart, and which is adapted for receiving and releasably locking therein a latch bar on a tether which i: attached to the next cart in the nested series, requiring deposit of a coin to release the latch bar to free the cart for being wheeled away by the user, and holding the coin until the user brings the cart back to a cart parking station, nests it in the end cart at the parking station, and inserts the latch bar which is tethered to said end cart in the mechanism to lock the returned cart to the series and to provide for return of the user's coin.
The invention is in the same field as the "Safety Arrangement" disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,782 issued Jan. 13, 1987, among its several objects being the provision of improved and simplified coin-controlled mechanism for the stated purpose, more particularly the provision of such mechanism which is more economical to manufacture by reason of being of simplified and more economical construction which is more easily and more economically assembled; and the provision of such mechanism which is more weatherproof, e.g. less likely to have water accumulate therein (as from rain) or freeze up, the basic object being to diminish the labor involved in handling the carts and to obtain longer useful life for the carts.
In general a coin-controlled apparatus of this invention for locking shopping carts together in nested series comprises coin-controlled mechanism which is mounted on a cart and which is adapted for receiving and releasably locking therein a bar on a tether attached to the next cart in the series. Said coin-controlled mechanism comprises an elongate body having a top, bottom, sides and rearward and forward ends, with an elongate slideway for a coin slide extending therein from the rearward end thereof toward the forward end, said body being adapted for being mounted in a generally horizontal position on a shopping cart. A coin slide is slidable in the slideway and has a forward and a rearward portion. A detent for the coin slide is pivoted in a recess in the top of the body and is biased downwardly into engagement with the top of the slide. The top of the slide has a first stop engageable with the detent to determine a rearward position of the slide wherein its rearward portion extends out rearward of the body and a second stop spaced from the rearward stop engageable with the detent to determine a forward position of the slide, the slide being biased by spring means toward its rearward position. The rearward portion of the slide has a relatively deep narrow recess for holding a coin on edge therein with the coin projecting up out of the recess, the recess being located outwardly of the rearward end of the body when the slide is in its rearward position for deposit of a coin in the recess and retrieval of a coin from the recess and being located within the body when the slide is pushed inward and forward to its said forward position. The upper portion of a coin in the recess is engageable with the detent when the slide is pushed inward and forward in the body to raise the detent to allow the slide to be pushed into a forward position forward of the limit imposed by said second stop. The body has a first hole in one side thereof and a housing on the opposite side with a recess in the housing and a second hole transversely aligned with the first hole extending between the slideway and the recess in said housing. A latch for the slide is slidable in said recess in said side housing and in said second hole between a laterally retracted position clear of the slideway and a slide-latching position extending into and across the slideway, and biased by spring means in &he recess in said side housing toward its said slide-latching position. The inner portion of the slide has a side-to-side elongate slot therein and a tongue for locking the bar in the body extending from the forward end of the slot toward but terminating short of the rearward end of the slot to provide a space for passage of the bar therethrough, the bar having a side-to-side hole therein for reception of the locking tongue on sliding out of the slide from its forward to its rearward position. The latch for the slide is movable under its bias to its slide-latching position when the slide is pushed in to its forward position, and when in its slide-latching position extends into said space in the slide and is engageable by the tip of the tongue to latch the slide in its forward position to hold the coin in the slide within the body. The latch is pushed back by the bar on insertion of the bar in the first hole and pushing in the bar to release the slide and allow it to move rearward under its bias to its rearward position for entry of the tongue in the hole in the bar for locking the bar in the body and for returning the coin in the slide. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.